Anthony Phillips - Slow Dance (Esoteric Recordings)

 

One can only wonder what kind of a band would Genesis become had Anthony Phillips stayed.  The man is definitely talented, and managed to release some great albums over the last few decades.  In fact, he forged a quite a career for himself.  Phillips never compromised, followed his own muse, and did many different things musically.

Slow Dance dwells into symphonic and orchestral territory.  The music here is very dynamic, but it evolves, and takes the listener on a great journey.  The concept of Slow Dance comes in two parts, or should we say two suites.  There is a level of melancholy one can feel within the music, and the main theme tends show up in various places.  Each listen offers new possibilities, and a new set of emotions.  Slow Dance has a lot of substance, and part of the listening experience is trying to break it down.

Slow Dance was originally released in 1990 on Virgin Records.  This reissue presents the album in a remastered and expanded version.  Additional disc of Slow Dance -Vignettes was added, and it’s a true treasure trove of additional Philips material.  The extra disc allows the listener to look on the other side, and hear individual components of the album.

Anthony Phillips is an interesting artist.  He jumps all over the place, and does not stay too long in one place, but what he does is very ambitious.  Esoteric Recordings does a great job reminding fans of some great lost or forgotten treasures.  Slow Dance definitely qualifies as such!

Mark Kadzielawa

Cock Robin – Previous Dreams-The Complete CBS Recordings 1985-1990 (Cherry Pop)

 

Cock Robin was an American 1980s pop band formed by singer-songwriter, Peter Kingsbery.  Despite being from America, it was Europe that embraced them, and they charted several times there.  One of their more popular songs is The Promise You Made.  A very catchy track, but then so are most of them. 

The band initially functioned from 1982 to 1990, only to reform in 2006.  This set covers that initial run.  The three discs include the following records:  Cock Robin, After here Through Midland, and First Love/Last Rites.  All three CDs come with bonus tracks.  The bonus songs include some cool mixes, although at times it gets to be too repetitive. 

What’s definitely represented here is the feel of the 80s in a more Euro flavor.  When listening to Cock Robin, it’s not surprise they caught on the other side of the Atlantic.  The music does have some ingredient that Europeans respond to.  One may also wonder how is it possible this band was not as big here, but it all comes down to taste and of course the lucky breaks. 

The three albums may sound a bit nostalgic; some may dismiss them as dated, but it’s still music that creates emotions.  It’s a pleasant listen with an opportunity to sing along.  Plenty of great tracks like Just Around the Corner, or When Your Heart is Weak.  No big hits coming from First Love/Last Rites, but it’s still a fun listen. 

Precious Dreams captures that unique 80s spirit.  It is very unlikely that a decade of splendor and inventive music will be upon us again.  Listen and enjoy how the original inventors did it, admire their passion and feel their emotions within the music.

Mark Kadzielawa

Shadow of Jupiter – Porta Coeli (self-release)

 

Shadow of Jupiter is a new band playing what many may call a stoner rock, but in reality it sounds like a band with strong 1970s rock influences.  It is definitely on the heavier side of things, but the heaviness has a special touch here.  It’s all about the right feel with Shadow of Jupiter.

The band features John Piotrowski on vocals.  You may remember John from Terminal Death, but his vocals in no way resemble what he did in that band.  He is singing here in his natural voice, and a much higher register.  Piotrowski’s vocals complement the music, and it’s simply a good mix.

Each song on Porta Coeli has a very unique mood, and the album gets progressively heavier from track to track.  The overall feel here is rather dark, and as disturbing as it may sound, it is also the charming side of the music.  The riffs are solid, and the band flies all over the spectrum exploring every possible corner.  It is a captivating album, but requires your undivided attention.

Shadow of Jupiter is fine addition to already rich stable of bands coming out of the Chicago area.  Their album certainly delivers, and will quickly find followers on a local and possibly national level.  Breaking in a new band is never easy though, but it’s also fun.  Shadow of Jupiter eliminates the light, and turns on dark riffs!

Mark Kadzielawa

Lillian Axe – The Box: Volume Two-The Quickening (Global Rock)

 

The recording history of Lilian Axe continues, this is the second box of Lillian treasures from Global Rock Records.  6 CDs of studio and live recording that chronologically documents the history of the band.  All of it put together in an identical box as the first volume.  It looks classy and presentable.

The set begins with Deep Red Shadows album from 2010.  It’s a solid album, that perhaps was little bit forgotten, available here with a bonus track.  What follows next is very interesting.  The recordings from Circle of Light, which consist of songs written prior to Lillian Axe.  This section is titled Rebirth.  So, plenty of tracks from the very beginning of the band.  XI-The Days Before Tomorrow is featured as well.  This pretty much completes the studio albums the band recorded up until 2012.  It would be another ten years before the next studio album would see the light of day.

Fields of Yesterday is a disc consisting of various demos the band did, 14 songs in all.  Plenty of tracks in their initial stages, many quite rare selections.  One Night in a Temple is an acoustic concert from 2014 which spreads over two discs, with some additional demo tracks spliced as a bonus.  The cool thing about this set is that ever disc is filled with music to its full capacity.  You truly getting a large volume of Lilian Axe recordings.  The final disc is Live at Summerfest from Milwaukee 1992.  Many of these shows were broadcasted on the radio as they happened.  It’s great to see one of them being officially released.  Great show that catches the band playing a great show to an enthusiastic crowd.

This is a wonderful set, and will make any Lillian Axe fan very happy.  Even if you own some of those records, the extras make it a great bargain, and it’s very unlikely they will be released separately.  This is well done, and the packaging is very impressive.  Now that both boxes are available, it’s easy to have a Lillian Axe marathon, or is that too much for one day?

Mark Kadzielawa

Legions of Metal Festival, Chicago, Illinois 2024

 

The Legions of Metal festival was an absolute blast. Over the last two days, this was a big celebration of heavy metal music. The combination of established act and up and coming bands was absolutely winning, and both days of the event sold out. The festival had a very easy-going flow, it was relaxed, and the real intensity usually took place on either stage. It was great to meet some old-time friends, and make some new ones. It was impossible to see it all, but even with what was possible, the event was very impressive. Watchtower’s first appearance in Chicago and Midwest, was absolutely amazing, and the band delivered a crushing show. Hirax was driven by this unbelievable energy, and Katon is always incredibly entertaining to watch. Good vibes all around, not to mention constant smiles of joy! Unleash the Archers showed how a newer band can slowly become a very solid headliner with a very impressive following. Plenty of amazing shows by OwlBear, who debuted their live show at the festival. Tower Hill from Canada, many claim they stole the show on day 1, they were definitely great! Greyhawk arrived straight from their festival time in Germany, and played an amazing show. Greyhawk is certainly a band heading for another level, they have a great attitude, and the will to do it. Downbringer made a very rare appearance, and played a great set. Stress Angel took this show in a different direction, and unleashed a true evil upon us all! What a great band! Mean Mistreater came out of nowhere, and simply blew everyone away with their high energy driven show. Fer De Lance gave a solid dose of epic metal, and quickly won over the crowd. Another amazing band from the Chicago area! Let’s not forget the very entertaining and fun show from Canada’s Striker. Solid sets from Lycanthro, Olathia, Viperwitch, Ice Howls, Mourn the Light and others. What was also noticeable is the vast number of female musicians in those bands. It’s great to see the ladies taking charge, and rocking out! You have definitely arrived! Be proud! The fest was an example of a great music community coming together and making the magic happen. Big thanks to the promoters of this festival, the crew, sound people, bars, the kitchen. Every little thing added to this event being special, functional, and memorable.

Mark Kadzielawa

Judas Priest – Rosemont Theatre, Rosemont, Illinois, May 1, 2024

 

When Judas Priest comes to town, it’s a heavy metal celebration.  Fans come out and support their beloved band.  Interesting thing about the fans these days.  They vary from 6 to 60, and over.  At least that’s what was observed at the show in question.  Also, the Rosemont Theatre had become like the official Judas Priest venue for the last four tours so far.  It’s a great sounding and fairly intimate venue, where you can see the band without any obstructions.  The crowd did not disappoint.  The place was full of metal maniacs, and you could feel the excitement in the air.

Judas Priest came down like a storm, as metal as you can get.  The dramatic intro, a little touch of Birmingham, and before you knew it, you were experiencing your first Panic Attack of the evening.  This of course was a blistering opener from band’s excellent Invincible Shield album.  It got the ball rolling.  It was followed by You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, one of the most known and requested Judas Priest songs, usually left for encores, here it was a second track in the set.  Rapid Fire was one of the biggest surprises of the evening.  What an amazing track from the British Steel album. 

The show was full of great tracks, and when you have such impressive catalogue of songs as Judas Priest it must be tough trying to please everyone.  The setlist however offered a fair breakdown between the old, new and fairly new.  Some staples like Sinner, Victim of Changes offered a great display of Rob Halford’s talents as a vocalist.  Halford is still a presence that requires a total respect, even at 72 he can still hit those notes and soar.  There few moments where he struggled a bit, but it’s not fair to hold it against him.  He did the best he could, and everyone had a great time.  This was a celebration of music, great career, and timeless friendships.

Instrumentally, Judas Priest, played beautifully.  Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap are a great guitar duo, and were able to reproduce all of the riffs and harmonies from the classic years, and often add their own spin on things.  The image of Glenn Tipton would often appear on the screen, reminding everyone that despite the health limitations he is still a part of the band.  The rhythm section consisting of drummer, Scott Travis, and bass player, Ian Hill, provided a very solid base for each song performed.  A dependable rhythm section like that is definitely the heart of any band, and Judas Priest has one of the best ones out there.

The production of the show was amazing two.  Variety of lights, special effects, screen projections, added to the overall feel of the show.  It was meant to make you feel overwhelmed, but when you see the best, why not feel the part?  Rob Halford also added his spin to the show, changing costumes and keeping everyone on their toes.  When watching Judas Priest on stage, you couldn’t escape the fact that they were just having a great time.  Nothing was forced, they were up there because they loved it.  The band definitely took the audience on a ride, and let them forget about all of the daily struggles everyone is faced with.  In many ways, this is what a great show should do, and if you can accomplish such task on Tuesday, you know you’re doing something right.

Judas Priest completed their basic set list in no time, and came back for some encores.  Once the sounds of The Hellion began, everyone knew Electric Eye was only seconds away.  What an amazing track this is, and it only gets better with age.  Judas Priest delivered it with absolute perfection and conviction, not to mention a great audience participation.  Then it was that “motorcycle track about leather,” Living After Midnight, and the band was done.  Now it’s a memory, now it’s a tour date on a concert t-shirt, and if you were there you will forever be linked with everyone who shared that experience with you.  Will this happen again?  Let’s hope so!

Mark Kadzielawa

Photo credit:  Roberto Ricciuti